Warren County Teen Court holds swearing in ceremony for new year

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Warren County’s Teen Court held their swearing-in ceremony Monday, with the potential future of the judicial system slowly taking shape.

“We’re trying to give the best constructive sentence for that specific case and that specific juvenile. The point of teen court isn’t to shame and condemn someone for the mistakes they’ve made in the past… but the main thing is to see that the peers around them want to help them do better and see them do better in the future,” Mary Beth Aldridge, a senior in the program, says.

Teen Court is open to any student in Warren County, with one student in particular saying he was approached by his principal.

“I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a very fun experience. It is a great opportunity to learn about the justice system and to really get to know the other kids for sure,” Samuel Wilson, a senior at Foundation Christian Academy, says.

Kids can learn many different things from the cases they see, whether inside or outside the courtroom.

“They’re all from different counties or schools, and I don’t get much opportunities to meet other people… but meeting everyone and talking to them, making friends is the best part,” Mary Kethyza, a senior at South Warren High School, says.

“I used to not be able to read Bible verses in front of my class. Now I’m giving invocations in front of the auditorium. That’s how much this has helped me improve my public speaking,” Wilson adds.

The most important things they’ve learned are having empathy for their peers and the growth they’ve seen from a speaking perspective.

“Some people just make mistakes, and just because you make a mistake, you’re not a bad person. Not a single person I’ve represented, I would consider a bad person. They made bad choices, but not a bad person,” Wilson says.

“I used to be really shy as a person and it made me grow out my shell, and I realized I really want to help people and bring justice to the world because juveniles, they’re less seen than actual adults,” Kethyza adds.

“Thank you for believing in our youth and seeing the good in what we can do. I’m really proud to be a part of Teen Court and I can’t wait to see what this year holds for us,” Ilma Mujkanovic, a sophomore at South Warren High School, shared during her speech.

Teen Court meets once a month starting in November, excluding December, and goes until April.